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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24190357">The Potter's Wedding and the First Wizarding War</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_inthegarden/pseuds/Ren_inthegarden'>Ren_inthegarden</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death Eaters, F/M, James and Lily's wedding, Potter's wedding, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:35:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24190357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_inthegarden/pseuds/Ren_inthegarden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marlene McKinnon is the only guest at the Potter's wedding that seems to remember there is a war going on. She refuses to enjoy herself. And then Sirius Black decides to make her company.<br/>[Short stories about Lily and James' wedding day from the perspective of characters of the Marauders Era. Inspired by the marauders' videos posted by Bells on Youtube].</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amelia Bones &amp; Edgar Bones, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marauders &amp; Lily Evans Potter, Mary Macdonald/Marlene McKinnon, Sirius Black &amp; Marlene McKinnon, blackinnon - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Potter's Wedding and the First Wizarding War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/620125">Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon | ALIBIS</a> by Bells.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You may now kiss the bride!" Sirius declared, for the tenth time, as James and Lily were taking pictures with the rest of their Hogwarts classmates. Dumbledore and McGonnaghal were smiling at the group as they stood aside drinking a muggle cocktail Lily insisted on having. Marlene stared at Sirius envying the effortlessness in his laugh. He was genuinely delighted by the events of the evening, as if he had been waiting his entire life to be Potter's bestman. Sirius caught her eye and gave Marlene a quick wink. She rolled her eyes and couldn't hold back a smile. She had never seen him so handsome.</p><p>Marlene didn't participate in the picture, she was a year younger than most of the guests and she wasn't really close to any of them in school, except for James and Mary Macdonald.</p><p>"Turn it up, will you Remus?" Evans (now Potter) shouted at Lupin as he was struggling to adjust a muggle set that appeared to be meant to play music. Evans was a fan of several muggle bands and she was excited to have it at her wedding. Marlene had to admit she looked radiant. Her auburn hair was framing her face like a carefully made portrait, and her eyes had never seemed so green. She kept looking at Potter and smiling at him, as if she couldn't believe how lucky she was. He wasn't bad himself. It probably took several people to attempt to tame his hair, but they managed to make him look like a gentleman. His glasses were new and his tux was taylor-made for the occasion. </p><p>"Would you please just make an effort, Marley?" Mary sighed at Marlene, realising she was making faces at the people gathering for another picture. Marlene was sitting at the table with Mary Macdonald and the Bones, Amelia and Edgar. She hadn't seen most of these people since last year, in a failed mission for the Order that resulted in serious injuries and casualties after being ambushed by Grey Back and other Death Eaters. </p><p>"I don't know what you mean, Mary. I'm here, aren't I? Wearing a bloody dress and everything." Marlene replied while looking for a cigarette in her bag. "I'm sorry I can't pretend to be more thrilled for the Potters, you see, but there's a war going on, we all have targets on our backs, and I simply do not for the life of me understand how it could be relevant to throw a party like this- where the hell is my..."</p><p>Sirius appeared behind her and gave her a cigarette, smiling at Marlene as he sat down between her and Mary.</p><p>"Always a pleasure, McKinnon. I didn't think I'd see you here today, but then again you won't reply to my owls, patronuses or even calls - yes, I even tried those, look what you're doing to me." They both laughed and Marlene took a long sip from her champagne. "How have you been? Enjoying yourself as usual, from what I've just heard."</p><p>"Always lovely to leave you two to it then." Mary got up and made her way to where Lily was. James seemed to ask Mary what was going on but she just shrugged Lily kept looking at Sirius and Marlene.</p><p>"Sirius please let's not do this." Marlene didn't want to look at him. She didn't mean to sound so bitter when she replied to Mary, nor for Sirius to listen.</p><p>"Aren't you tired of being angry and so bloody unhappy all the time, Marley?" He lit his cigarette and waved at Lupin, who was now selecting a record to play next. "What's the harm in having a good time tonight, pretending to be a 20-something person that can actually hope for something other than...war? Sometimes I think you enjoy yourself, to be honest."</p><p>"I appreciate you coming all the way here to be rude. I really do. I know you're angry at me, but I just don't have the energy right now, ok? I'm here trying to support James." There was indeed pain in her voice. Marlene didn't like it when Sirius talked to her like that. It was as if her last ally had given up. </p><p>"I didn't mean for it to sound it like that. I'm just...Not in the mood. Please stop being like this, ok? Don't make me feel worse." She looked away and drank a bit more. The dancefloor was now crowded with people trying to follow Lily's lead on how to dance to the song selected by Lupin. </p><p>Sirius sighed. </p><p>"I was too harsh. I didn't mean to be rude. I just...Marley, you're allowed to be free of this...Responsability you've created for yourself you know. I know what happened to your younger brother and I'm sorry. I wish it could be different than it is, but it isn't. The war isn't going to change just because of one night we decided to celebrate the beginning of a family. Even Dumbledore is enjoying himself" He pointed at the Headmaster. He was standing beside Lupin near the gramophone, as Lupin was showing him how it worked. Dumbledore had a record in his hands and looked mesmerised by the machine. Marlene couldn't help smiling again.</p><p>"It has nothing to do with Cam, he's recovering well and we all know what can happen in missions..." Marlene started to realise she didn't understand where her anger was coming from. She wished Sirius would go away.</p><p>"Then what is it? You've got that look in your eyes as if you are angry or sad or both. Talk to me, Marley." </p><p>"Sirius, we are at war. Last night I got an owl from Emmeline saying that apparently instructions have changed, and You-Know-Who is going after blood traitors first. So yes, you can say I am angry. I have a family to worry about, my parents are in the front lines, my brother got cursed, my older brother is having a child... Everything we do, every decision we make at this point matters and honestly...A bloody wedding? First of all, she" Marlene looked at Lily, frowning. "never liked James. I don't know what kind of witchcraft the three of you pulled together to make this happen." </p><p>Sirius just smiled, looking away and curving his lips as Marlene continued ranting. She felt as if she had been carrying all of this around with her like a heavy rock on her shoulders. </p><p>"Second of all," Marlene continued "how can you even imagine this as a new beginning? There's no tomorrow right now...And getting married to someone, getting yet another responsability, it feels...I don't understand why they would want to make the stakes even higher."</p><p>Sirius smiled, but his eyes were very sad. He threw his cigarrete at his feet and looked at Marlene.</p><p>"So...You suppose that if they didn't marry, in case the worse happens...It wouldn't hurt that much since they were not, as you say, making the stakes higher?" </p><p>Sirius stared at her for a while. Marlene didn't look away because she tried to understand what his eyes were telling her. </p><p>"You know, Marley" Sirius continued "at this point, I thought you'd have realised it's not something you can shut off...Avoiding marriage or trying to be apart, these things wouldn't make James love her any less." </p><p>He didn't look at her now. Sirius' eyes got darker and he pretended to me fixing the flower on his pocket to disguise the painful look on his face.</p><p>"Sirius..." Marlene sat at the end of her chair and reached for Sirius' hand. She didn't know what to say. </p><p>Her mind rewinded to a year ago, the first summer after she left Hogwarts. The McKinnon London Flat had a strange light as the late summer sunset turned the bedroom orange. Sirius was waving his wand around as he gathered his things in a small suitcase. They had just learned the latest news about the Longbottoms escaping an ambush and how badly hurt Frank had been injured by one of Sirius' cousins. </p><p>Sirius heard Marlene running up the stairs and trying to open the door. She whispered a spell managing the lock and walked into the room. </p><p>"Sirius please let's just talk!" She shouted as she walked in. She went pale as soon as she noticed he was packing. "Where do you think you're going?"</p><p>"I'm going away for a while." Sirius didn't look at her. He held the small box with the ring tightly and put it back in his pocket.</p><p>"This is absurd. We need to stop. You need to stop!" She didn't know what she wanted to stop, she just let it all out at once as she noticed he was ignoring her gaze. 
Marlene took a deep breath. "Lupin warned me you might pull something like this...Look, can we please just sit down and talk through..."</p><p>"What the hell do you mean "warned"? You're saying it as if I was attacking you or something. I asked you to marry me, for Merlin's sake. You're so dramatic sometimes I can't keep up."</p><p>"You're the one packing your things, how dare you call me dramatic! Look, sit down...Just let me explain..."</p><p>"No, Marlene, I've had enough of your explanations for a lifetime." He turned around and looked at her. She had put her hair in a ponytail and her bright brown eyes were alive with fire because of the orange light caused by the sunset. </p><p>"Sirius you know how I feel about this, please...Why would ask this of me, right after we heard about Frank and Alice? Can you imagine if-if...We need to channel our strength to defeating them, Sirius, we can't risk-" Marlene couldn't do it all again. They had had the same argument for weeks now, and the news about the Longbottoms just fueled the tension pre existent. In a bold move, and desparate in Marlene's perception, Sirius proposed because he was scared the next argument they had might be the last.</p><p>"See, you're doing it again! I said I don't need another lecture. I've had enough of your reasoning on this. You think you can be stronger if you shut off everyone around you. You think you'll care less about me if we are not together, and then you won't be risking anyone's safety when we are out there, because as you've made quite clear time and time agai, you think you have the power to decide how to love. This is not a potion recipe, Marley, you can't level things like this. You know this. I'm done with this...I c-can't." Sirius was so angry his face turned from red to pale within seconds. His heart was racing so fast Marlene could feel it when she reached for his hand. Her eyes got darker as she moved past the reflection of the sunset.</p><p>Marlene knew Sirius was right. Since her seventh year in Hogwarts, Marlene started to feel scared in a way she had never been before. More and more people began to disappear and to die, her parents became a target, her brothers left their jobs at the Ministry, her sister-in-law had two miscarriages in less than a year. It felt like the entire Universe was looking for excuses to curse her family time and time again. They were, after all, the biggest blood traitors out there. They had supported Dumbledore and the resistance since the very beginning and quite openly. Now...Now she couldn't bare to hear bad news without feeling like fainting.</p><p>Thinking about Sirius had always given her butterflies. Most people thought she'd end up with James, but she always knew it was him. Even though her heart was breaking, she knew she couldn't make him promises she couldn't keep. Was she certain marrying Sirius would affect her performance against Voldemort and his followers? Was she certain that breaking their hearts at that moment would avoid more pain in the future, if it came to the worse? No. But Marlene was too scared to make sense of all of that at that moment.</p><p>"You don't understand...I can't do this. Not like this. It's a war, Sirius...What if.. It's already difficult enough to be apart from you in missions, even worse being side by side, I feel like we are....I just...I don't know what to do."</p><p>"We can't bloody count on "what ifs", Marlene. All we've got is today. Be brave for us."</p><p>"We're not Lily Evans and Potter, Sirius! You know that, luck has never been on our side. Sometimes I feel like...Like...Like I'm haxed or something. It doesn't matter what I do I can't bloody win this, it doesn't matter how hard I try to," She moved closer to him, tears falling down her pale cheeks as he placed his hands gently on her shoulders. Sirius was so angry he couldn't cry. Marlene felt like she had just taken a poisonous potion of some sort, she felt sick to her stomatch. "I need to protect my family, I need to focus, Sirius. I need to put all my heart into the Order. I can't share it with you. Not right now. Don't ask me to be brave, t-this is n-not fair. I-"</p><p>Sirius took a few steps back to look at her. His eyes were red now, with silent tears streaming down like a creek on his cheek. He didn't say a word. He waved his wand once again and his things were all inside the suitcase now. He took a deep breath and looked away at the window. His expression was not angry or sad, he just looked...Defeated.</p><p>"You keep making excuses to push people away from you, and you come up with noble reasons like "Oh I've got to focus on defeating all the evil in the world!" but you lie. You know you do." He locked his eyes on hers. Marlene felt as if knives were being thrown at her. "You keep everyone away - you keep me away - because you're unable to love without fear. And you're allowing fear to dictate how you're supposed to live through this shit. I'm done being scared, McKinnon. I'm done trying to make you see beyond this."</p><p>"S-Sirius please..."</p><p>He was gone.</p><p>There was a loud cheer and Marlene was back at the wedding. Sirius had called her name a few times and she didn't respond.</p><p>"Marley?" He called her again, looking worried.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I think I've...My mind went somewhere else for a moment." Marlene felt a shiver down her spine and took her hand away from Sirius. She was blushing a bit and felt as if she needed more to drink. "It's nothing. It doesn't matter. Look, I'm sorry ok? I didn't mean to give out to you like that, you're right for once." She forced a smile and winked at him.</p><p>Marlene looked at Lily again. 

They were never close in school. Marlene didn't like Lily until after Hogwarts, at school she thought the redhead was an annoying know-it-all, a bit of a stood up and she never understood why Lily treated James so badly. Lily and Marlene even had their moments in the common room a few times, Marlene always ended up shouting and swearing so much Lily simply walked away, saying something under her breath like: "This is not worth it". James and Sirius thought it was funny how they disliked each other for no specific reason, but Lupin had always tried to difuse the tension. Eventually they just stopped being so rude to each other and...it worked.

Now there they were, in peace at last (or something close to it). Sitting there beside Sirius, pretending to be less annoyed by the party, suddenly Marlene realised one of the reasons she felt so angry was because she envied Lily. She was jealous of how effortlessly she seemed to have allowed all that love for James to...Bloom. As if she had been waiting for the right time to let it happen. Marlene would never know this kind of happiness.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm really just...Not in the mood for all of this." Marlene smiled at him, putting her cigarette out. "I suppose you're right and it's not fair of me to rain on such a beautiful day with my sour humour." She laughed at her own joke and Sirius followed. He gazed at her for a bit.</p><p>"Will you stay for a bit, have a drink with me and Remus? Just...Stay, Marley." She felt his words ring through her bones. He wasn't asking her to stay. He was just stating it.</p><p>"I will. But only for a while, ok? And don't try to make me dance." They smiled at each other and got up.</p><p>Sirius winked at Mary Macdonald and took Marlene away to where Remus and Dumbledore were still having fun choosing music.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first story in a while. Please let me know your thoughts on the comments.</p><p>I was inspired by a Blackinnon video posted by Bells on youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0xqYHG-X0] and I intend to write other stories based on it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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